On Your Side: Back in Business

EVANS -- The Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office says someone intentionally set a fire that destroyed an Evans tanning salon.

The investigation continues as the salon's owner struggles to get the business up and running in a new place.

It's been more than two weeks since a fire destroyed Sun Spa Tan and Body in Evans. It's been more than two weeks of cleaning up, wiping away tears, waiting for answers and trying to get back in business.

"This was all retail here," Sun Spa Owner Dawn Hadden said. She continued, "All the cabinets are melted and gone. I've lost it all."

One night, one fire, and it was all gone for Dawn. "Seventeen years of my life down the drain," she said.

New Year's Eve, this year, Dawn's Sun Spa Tan and Body was destroyed. A vibrant thriving business turned into a charred shell of itself.

State Fire Marshals say the cause is arson. A crime that in just moments, cost Dawn hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“This bed ran me $34,000 and I've got four of them," she said, while pointing to one bed.

Across the room, she pointed out another. "This is my big daddy bed. It cost $67,000 dollars. It's totally charred and burnt."

Dawn built her business with her bare hands and she's dusting herself off to rebuild it now.

She's hired a team of workers to help clean up what she could save and move it to a temporary location.

She's even had a few angels who've stepped up to the plate to make things easier.

"A lot of friends and family who helped us clean up and helped us pack," she said gratefully.

She has a new temporary location that will help her get by until she can get her store rebuilt.

It's a start, but it hasn't been easy to even get here. She's had phone problems and delays with her insurance money on top of everything else, in addition to just trying to make ends meet.

Now, she's playing a waiting game. Waiting for insurance money to come through, waiting to rebuild and waiting to find out who burned down her business.

The phone problems are cleared up now, so please give them a call.

The other two businesses damaged in the fire, Oxford Learning Center and Doctor's Hospital Rehab Health Center are both up and running already.

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